Compartmented container



Dec. 22, 1953 BOURCART 2,663,450

COMPARTMENTED CONTAINER Filed Nov. 19, 1951 FIGJ.

Pic-3.2.

INVENTOR.

' EMlLE-AUGUSTE BOURCART W.MFQ

H IS ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 22, 1953 N [TED STATES PAT ENT 2,663,450

GOMPARTKMENTED CONTAINER Emile. Auguste Bourcart, New Y ork, NJY.

Application November 19, 1951, Serial =No.257.,124

This invention relates to; improvements :in con Ltainers for cosmetics,salves, .ointments, lotions, perfumes and the like, which are used asbeauty aids, and it relates particularly to a compact and attractivebeauty or cosmetic .kit having a plurality of boxes or cups forreceiving cosmetics and .the like, in which the boxes are arranged andrelated .i-na novel and more convenient way.

The beauty .aid kits provided heretofore usually :consist of a .box .orbag which contains :a plurality of containers, such as, jars, bottles,boxes and the like, to receivecreams, lotions, perfumes, powder, :rouge,lipstick and the like, these contai-ners :being fitted into compartmentsor loops in the boxes -or the bags. These kits are usually "bulky andare motv entirely satisfactory for the reason that the contents :of thecontainers :often leak out, the containers drop out -of the compartmentsor loops and care must be exercised in replacing the containers intotheir respective loops or compartments, as otherwise they do not fitproperly and are not firmly retained therein.

The present invention overcomes the undesirable characteristics anddisadvantages of the prior beauty aid kits by providing an "articlewhich includes a plurality of containers such .as %-boxes .and/ or rials:or bottles all of which are of such shape and dimensions as to fitsnugly but removably in :a tubular shell having removable end closuresso that the containers can be inserted into and removed from shellconveniently and without scattering them. The individual containers areprovided with tightly fitted lids or closures which prevent leakage oftheir :con- :tents. One or .more .of the containers :can be providedwith stoppersor caps which permit liquids such as perfumes, lotions andthe like to be carried therein without leaking.

The opposed ends of the containers (bottoms and lids) are formed with-.complemental recesses and projections which interiit to looselyconnect the containers and support them as a stack or column when theyare removed from the shell. Th interfitting projections and recessesalso act to hold the containers against rattling or displacement in theshell.

The shell and the boxes, vials, bottles and the like, may be made ofmetal, plastic, combinations of the same and other materials ofornamental and attractive appearance. The shell and end closure caps maybe made of base metals which may be plated with precious metals, theymay be provided with appropriate surface ornamentation or they may bemade of transparent material to disclose the containers therein. Theindividual containers may be made of like ma- 3 Claims. (Cl. 220-23)terialspr of different materials of transparent or opaque type and theymay be provided with separate or integral indicia indicating thecontents thereof. By suitable selection of materials,

5 itis possible to produce-a very attractive over-all appearance and toprovide. a wide variety of colors, surface ornamentation .andcombinations of the same.

For a better understanding of the present .-invention, reference maybehad to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 .is a view in longitudinal section through a typical deviceembodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in section through one of the containers of the kitshowing the cap or lid separated from the container;

.Fig. .3 is a View in section through :a 'container suitable forreception of liquids; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the closure caps for the shellillustrating the compartments formed therein.

The invention will .be described with reference to .an article of thetype embodying the present invention in which the outer shell is ofcylindrical shape and the elements or containers 3%- ting therein are ofcorresponding cross-sectional shape. It will be understood, however,that the outer shell or container .may be of regular or irregularpolygonal cross section or oval or any other desired shape. Also theouter surface of the shell may be engraved, fluted or otherwiseornamented or decorated.

As shown in Fig. l, a typical cosmetic kit includes an outer shellmember fill which, as indicated above, is generally circular in crosssection. The shell is provided with an upper end closure :Ill having athreaded extension '22 engageable with the internal threads 13 at theupper end of the shell It. I The opposite end of the shell is alsoprovided with an end closure Hi having a threaded section l5 en'gageablewith an internally threaded section it at the lower end of the tube. Theclosure cap It has a flange '1? which overlies and abuts against thelower end of the tube. Also, as shown in Fig. l, the closure 14 has aseries of recesses 18, i9 and 2B in its upper surface, these recessesbeing separated by a series of radial partitions 2 l, 22 and 23 to formcompartments to receive rouge, eye make-up, or the like. Thecompartments are closed by means of a lid 24 which is retained inposition covering the compartments by means of pins or detents 25 on thelid which engage in inclined slots 26 in the rim portion 21 surroundingthe compartments I8 to 20.

The shell II] also contains, as illustrated in Fig. 1, a series of smallcylindrical boxes 28, 29, 39 and 3!. These boxes are alike and only oneof them will be described herein. As shown in Fig. 2, the box 28 has acup-like bottom portion 33 and an upper rim portion 34 of reducedthickness. A cap or lid 35 fits over the rim 34 and is releasablyretained thereon by means of the pins or detents 3E and 31 on the lid 35and the inclined slots 38 in the rim 34. It will be understood, ofcourse, that the positions of the slots and. the pins can be reversedand pins or detents may be formed on the rim 34 and the grooves or slotsin the lid 35.

The shell may receive another type of container in the form of a vial orbottle 49 as shown in Fig. 3. The vial 49 has a cup-like base portion 4|like the box 28 described above but its upper end carries a disc 42which has a threaded filling and discharge neck 43 thereon. a The neckis closed by means of an internally threaded closure cap or lid 44. Thethreaded connection between the neck 43 and the lid 44 prevents leakagefrom the vial so that perfumes, lotions and the like may be carriedtherein. The lid or cap '44 may have a disc 45 of resilient material,such as nylon or other alcohol resistant plastic therein, to engage andseal the neck of the vial.

The upper end closure for the tube has a centrally located recess 45 toreceive the lid or cap 44 of the vial. A liner or disc 4! formed ofresilient material such as rubber or a resilient or rubbery plasticmaterial such as vinyl resin or nylon sheet is positioned in the recessto engage the cap of the vial and prevent it from rattling and beingmarred.

The lid 24 of the end closure l4 and the lids of the several boxes 28 to3|, for example the lid 35, are provided with projecting portions 48 and49, respectively, which are engageable in complementally shaped recesses59 and 5| in the bottoms of the superimposed boxes 28 to 31 and the vial40. The height of the projections and the depth of the recessespreferably are such that when the shell It! is removed from the assembled containers, they will remain in stacked relation and will notslide or tilt readily relative to each other. The projections preferablyare between about one-sixteenth of an inch and oneeighth of an inch inheight and the recesses are of corresponding depth. The provision of theinterfitting projections and recesses on the containers facilitatestheir removal from the shell and their return into the shell.

Each of the boxes 28 to 3| may be used to carry a different type ofmaterial such as a face cream, an ointment, salve or powder, while thevial 49 may be used for perfume or lotion. The compartments I8, 19 and20 may be used for rouge, lip paint or the like, as may be required.Substantial quantities of these materials may be carried in the severalcontainers despite the fact that the over-all length of the shell andits end closures may be on the order of five inches and its over-alldiameter may be on the order of one and one-quarter to one and one-halfinches.

It will be apparent that the device utilizes the space available withthe greatest efficiency and enables a great many cosmetics of differenttypes to be stored and carried in a minimum of space. Moreover, thecontainer is markedly different in appearance from the prior types ofcosmetic or beauty kits and presents a novel and highly attractiveappearance.

It will be understood, of course, that the size and proportions of thedevice may be varied widely and that the details of the containers mayalso be modified as well as their shape and the number and size of thecontainers carried by the shell and that a great many different kinds ofmaterials or combinations of materials may be used in the production ofthe article.

Accordingly, the form of the invention described above should beconsidered as illustrative and not as limiting the scope of thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. A kit for cosmetics and the like comprising a tubular shell, closuremembers detachably connected to the opposite ends of said shell, aplurality of separate containers in said shell, each container having ahollow cup-like body and a detachable lid fitting tightly on said body,and cooperating interfitting recesses and projections on said bodies andlids to hold said containers in a stack upon removal from said shell,the uppermost container in said stack having a narrow threaded neck anda threaded closure cap for engaging said neck in liquid-tight relation,said containers fitting snugly and slidably in said shell and betweensaid end closures to prevent shifting and rattling of said containers.

2. The kit set forth in claim 1 in which the closure member for one endof said shell has a plurality of compartments in its inner surface, anda lid detachably connected thereto for covering said compartments.

3. The kit set forth in claim 1 in which the closure member at theadjacent end of said shell has a recess therein to receive said neck andclosure.

EMILE AUGUSTE BOURCART.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 880,082 Kendrick Feb. 25, 1908 1,492,381 Lindenmayer Apr. 29,1924 1,616,834 Vogler Feb. 8, 1927 2,147,886 Devine Feb. 21, 19392,358,955 Weston Sept. 26, 1944 2,412,325 Devine et a1. Dec. 10, 19462,514,573 Harrison July 11, 1950 2,595,113 Taberer Apr. 29, 1952

